Harl Ray

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Inside America's railroad story of woe<p>Tom Waits once sang, "Money's just something you throw off the back of a train." He could have been singing about Amtrak, everyone's favorite unprofitable, publicly subsidized railway system.<p>Amtrak was created during the Nixon administration to sustain …

We've got just the thing.<p><b>The Principle</b><br>Magicians know that audiences “see” the same things differently. “That’s because there are no absolutes for the brain,” says neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde, Ph.D.<p>Your mind perceives things based on context, either actual or implied. This is the basis for …

You won't be able to fill your house with every item of your dreams right off the bat. After all, you've got a mortgage now. These are the 13 essentials that will instantly make your house a home.<p><i>text by</i> <b>Laura Serino</b><p>photography by BRITTANY AMBRIDGE<p><b>FAMILY PHOTOS</b><p>Let your loved ones into your space. …

Beets are one of those foods that most people either love or hate. They can have a distinctive taste (<i>ehem, my hubby thinks they taste like dirt</i>), but you can minimize this by doing a few simple things: 1) make sure you peel the beets completely and 2) roast them with a dollop of coconut oil. The …

Notification sounds can be a lot of fun to play with and a great way to embrace Android customization. From having your device proudly announce “You’ve got mail!” through to video game noises, catch phrases from your favorite movie and snippets of your favorite song, if it can be stored as an audio …

Your step-by-step plan for making your gut disappear<p>There's a secret every trainer in Hollywood knows, and it's one you should know, too: "The fastest way to look like you've packed on 20 pounds of muscle is to lose 10 pounds of fat," says Alan Aragon, M. S., the <i>Men's Health</i> Weight-Loss Coach and …

Ask just about anyone to name a few of the childhood foods that they remember the most fondly, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, in its trademark blue box, will invariably come up. Cheesy, filling, and easy and fun to prepare, it's one of those foods that almost everybody likes. We'll bet, though, …

A Christmas ham is a properly festive joint of meat. And, crucially, one that continues to feel a treat as long as it lasts. The same cannot be said for turkey.<p>It should be said that we have been enjoying pork at Yuletide long before turkey became de rigueur in the last century. Pork may even …

I read somewhere recently that pâté had gone out of style. That bothered me, because, as is often the case with superficial food trends, it makes no sense that an incredibly delicious food with a deep history can be declared a has-been just because there isn't a media frenzy around it right now. In …

When it comes to apple brandy, the first country you think of might be France with its famed Calvados, but thanks to a crop of small distillers, the U.S. is now one of the most exciting producers of the historic spirit.<p>The first and most important thing to know about apple brandy is that it must be …

It's easy to feel flustered during the course of the day, which is why dinner should be about finding comfort and balance. Spend a leisurely night at home with a classic Italian entrée and a fresh salad -- and enjoy the beauty of its simplicity.<p>This menu is about finding perfect equilibrium: Acidic …

<i>As a defiant response to Sad Desk Lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we'll be sharing our happiest desk lunches -- and we want to see yours, too.</i><p><i>Today:</i> <i>We know you have canned fish. Put it to good use, all week long.</i><p>I'll admit that canned …

<i>Merrill's daughter Clara has quite the appetite -- and it's all Merrill can do to keep up. Armed with her greenmarket bag, a wooden spoon and a minimal amount of fuss, she steps into the fray.</i><p><i>Today: 7 ideas for homemade snacks, just in time for back-to-school season.</i><p>The days are getting noticeably …